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Contemporary English Version

Exodus 25:18

Then hammer out two winged creatures of pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends of the chest.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Beaten Work;   Cherubim;   Gold;   Mercy-Seat;   Tabernacle;   Types;   Thompson Chain Reference - Cherubim;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gold;   Holy of Holies;   Mercy-Seat;   Types of Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Tabernacle;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Ark;   Cherubim;   Tabernacle;   Throne;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Ark;   Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ark;   Cherub;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adam (1);   Mercy Seat;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Beaten Gold;   Cherub, Cherubim;   Exodus, Book of;   Mercy Seat;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Uzzah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Colours;   Leviticus;   Mining and Metals;   Tabernacle;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Angels;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Beaten-Work;   Cherub, Cherubim;   Mercy Seat;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Cherubim;   Oracle;   Propitiation;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Mercy-seat;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Cherub, Cherubim;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ark of the Covenant;   Cherub;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Events of the Encampment;   Tabernacle, the;   Moses, the Man of God;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cherubim (1);   Goldsmith;   Tabernacle;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ark of the covenant;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;   Bagdad;   Cherub;   Sidra;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
You shall make two Keruvim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
King James Version
And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
Lexham English Bible
And you will make two cherubim of gold; you will make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atonement cover.
New Century Version
Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings, and put one on each end of the lid.
New English Translation
You are to make two cherubim of gold; you are to make them of hammered metal on the two ends of the atonement lid.
Amplified Bible
"You shall make two cherubim (winged angelic figures) of [solid] hammered gold at the two ends of the mercy seat.
New American Standard Bible
"You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atoning cover.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And thou shalt make two Cherubims of golde: of worke beaten out wt the hammer shalt thou make the at ye two endes of the Merciseate.
Legacy Standard Bible
You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Complete Jewish Bible
You are to make two k'ruvim of gold. Make them of hammered work for the two ends of the ark-cover.
Darby Translation
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then make two Cherub angels and put them on each end of the mercy-cover. Hammer gold to make these angels.
English Standard Version
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.
George Lamsa Translation
And you shall make two cherubim of gold, of cast work shall you make them, on the two sides of the mercy seat.
Good News Translation
Make two winged creatures of hammered gold,
Christian Standard Bible®
Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Literal Translation
And you shall make two cherubs of gold; you shall make them of beaten work from the two ends of the mercyseat.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And thou shalt make two Cherubyns of beaten golde vpo both ye endes of the Mercyseate,
American Standard Version
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
Bible in Basic English
And at the two ends of the cover you are to make two winged ones of hammered gold,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thou shalt make two Cherubims of golde: euen of a whole worke shalt thou make them, in the two endes of the mercy seate.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the ark-cover.
King James Version (1611)
And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold: of beaten worke shalt thou make them, in the two endes of the Mercie-seat.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt make two cherubs graven in gold, and thou shalt put them on both sides of the propitiatory.
English Revised Version
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
Berean Standard Bible
And make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also thou schalt make on euer eithir side of `Goddis answeryng place twei cherubyns of gold, and betun out with hamer;
Young's Literal Translation
and thou hast made two cherubs of gold, beaten work dost thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat;
Update Bible Version
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work you shall make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt make two cherubim [of] gold, [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy-seat.
World English Bible
You shall make two cherubim of hammered gold. You shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
New King James Version
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.
New Living Translation
Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover.
New Life Bible
Make two cherubim out of beaten gold. Make them at the two ends of the mercy-seat.
New Revised Standard
You shall make two cherubim of gold; you shall make them of hammered work, at the two ends of the mercy seat.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, - of beaten work, shalt thou make them, out of the two ends of the propitiatory.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt make also two cherubims of beaten gold, on the two sides of the oracle.
Revised Standard Version
And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat.
THE MESSAGE
"Sculpt two winged angels out of hammered gold for either end of the Atonement-Cover, one angel at one end, one angel at the other. Make them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. Make the angels with their wings spread, hovering over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on it. Set the Atonement-Cover as a lid over the Chest and place in the Chest The Testimony that I will give you. I will meet you there at set times and speak with you from above the Atonement-Cover and from between the angel-figures that are on it, speaking the commands that I have for the Israelites.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.

Contextual Overview

10 The Lord said to Moses: Tell the people to build a chest of acacia wood forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11 Cover it inside and out with pure gold and put a gold edging around the lid. 12 Make four gold rings and fasten one of them to each of the four legs of the chest. 13 Make two poles of acacia wood. Cover them with gold 14 and put them through the rings, so the chest can be carried by the poles. 15 Don't ever remove the poles from the rings. 16 When I give you the Ten Commandments written on two flat stones, put them inside the chest. 17 Cover the lid of the chest with pure gold. 18Then hammer out two winged creatures of pure gold and fasten them to the lid at the ends of the chest. 20 The creatures must face each other with their wings spread over the chest.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two cherubims of gold: Exodus 37:7-9, Genesis 3:24, 1 Samuel 4:4, 1 Kings 6:23-28, 1 Kings 8:6, 1 Kings 8:7, 1 Chronicles 28:18, Ezekiel 10:2, Ezekiel 10:20, Ezekiel 41:18, Ezekiel 41:19, Hebrews 9:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:20 - cherubims shall Exodus 25:36 - beaten Exodus 26:1 - cherubims Exodus 26:31 - cherubims shall it be made Exodus 36:8 - cherubims Numbers 7:89 - two cherubims Numbers 8:4 - beaten work Numbers 10:2 - of a whole piece 2 Samuel 6:2 - dwelleth 1 Kings 7:29 - cherubims

Cross-References

Genesis 2:11
The first one is the Pishon River that flows through the land of Havilah,
Genesis 13:10
This happened before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the Lord or the land of Egypt.
Genesis 14:10
was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country.
Genesis 16:12
But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him."
Genesis 20:1
Abraham moved to the Southern Desert, where he settled between Kadesh and Shur. Later he went to Gerar, and while there
Genesis 21:14
Early the next morning Abraham gave Hagar an animal skin full of water and some bread. Then he put the boy on her shoulder and sent them away. They wandered around in the desert near Beersheba,
Genesis 25:23
and he told her: "Your two sons will become two separate nations. The younger of the two will be stronger, and the older son will be his servant."
Genesis 25:24
When Rebekah gave birth,
1 Samuel 15:7
and Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt.
2 Kings 23:29
During Josiah's rule, King Neco of Egypt led his army north to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. Josiah led his troops north to fight Neco, but when they met in battle at Megiddo, Josiah was killed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold,.... Which some take to be in the form of birds, and others of winged animals, such as the like were never seen, so Josephus; the Jews commonly suppose they were in the form of young men, which they observe the word signifies in the Chaldee language; others, that they were in the form of an ox, the face of an ox and a cherub being the same, Ezekiel 1:10 and indeed their form is best discerned from account of them in Ezekiel, and in the Revelation, and from the latter we best learn what they were; they were hieroglyphics or emblems, not of the two Testaments, as many of the ancients, nor of the angels, since they are distinguished from them, much less of the trinity of persons in the Godhead; but either of the saints and true believers in Christ in common, of both dispensations, legal and evangelical, and so signified by the number "two"; and being made of gold may denote their excellency, worth, and value in the esteem of Christ; for the precious sons of Sion are comparable to fine gold for their preciousness, solidity, and duration, as well as for their sincerity and simplicity; or rather of the ministers of the word in particular; and these may be signified by two, and at the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New; and the ministers of the word in all ages, and particularly during the reign of antichrist, are called the two witnesses that prophesy in sackcloth; and being said to be of gold, may respect the grace of God bestowed on "them", comparable to gold, the gifts of the Spirit of God they are furnished with, as well as the precious truths of the Gospel committed to their trust:

of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat; not of gold melted and poured into a mould, and so received the form of the cherubim; nor were they first made by themselves, and then placed at the two ends of the mercy seat, and soldered to it; but they were made of the same mass of gold with the mercy seat, and beaten out of it with an hammer, and planished and smoothed, and so wrought up into this form, as appears by the following verse; and may denote the union of believers to Christ, who are one body and one spirit with him; and the union of the Old and New Testament churches in him, and who are but one church, one body, of which he is the head; and as he is the foundation of the apostles or prophets, on whom they are laid, he is the cornerstone in which they are united; and so it may likewise signify the nearness of the ministers of the word to Christ, their dependence on him, and their partaking of the same gifts and graces of his Spirit, only in measure, being made by him able ministers of the Gospel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A mercy seat of pure gold - (Compare Exodus 37:6-9.) In external form, the mercy-seat was a plate of gold with the cherubim standing on it, the whole beaten out of one solid piece of metal Exodus 37:7; it was placed upon the ark and so took the place of a cover. “mercy” seat expresses well the distinct significance and recognized designation of the Hebrew name.

Exodus 25:18-20

The cherubim of the mercy-seat were human figures, each having two wings. They must have been of small size, proportioned to the area of the mercy-seat. Comparing the different references to form in this place, in 2 Samuel 22:11 Psalms 18:10, in Ezekiel 1:0; Ezekiel 10:0 and in Revelation 4:1-11, it would appear that the name “cherub” was applied to various combinations of animal forms. Among the Egyptians, the Assyrians and the Greeks, as well as the Hebrews, the creatures by far most frequently introduced into these composite figures, were man, the ox, the lion, and the eagle, as being types of the most important and familiarly known classes of living material beings. Hence, the cherubim, described by Ezekiel, have been regarded as representing the whole creation engaged in the worship and service of God (compare Revelation 4:9-11; Revelation 5:13); and it would be in harmony with this view to suppose that the more strictly human shape of the cherubim of the mercy seat represented the highest form of created intelligence engaged in the devout contemplation of the divine law of love and justice. (Compare 1 Peter 1:12.) It is worthy of notice that the golden cherubim from between which Yahweh spoke Exodus 25:22 to His people bore witness, by their place on the mercy-seat, to His redeeming mercy; while the cherubim that took their stand at the gate of Eden, Genesis 3:24, to keep the way to the tree of life, witnessed to His condemnation of sin in man.

Exodus 25:18

Of beaten work - i. e. elaborately worked with the hammer.

Exodus 25:19

Even of the mercy seat - See the margin. The sense appears to be that the cherubim and the mercy-seat were to be worked out of one mass of gold. (Compare Exodus 37:7.)

Exodus 25:21

The testimony - See Exodus 25:16 note. Compare Exodus 40:20.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 25:18. Thou shalt make two cherubims — What these were we cannot distinctly say. It is generally supposed that a cherub was a creature with four heads and one body: and the animals, of which these emblematical forms consisted, were the noblest of their kinds; the lion among the wild beasts, the bull among the tame ones, the eagle among the birds, and man at the head of all; so that they might be, says Dr. Priestley, the representatives of all nature. Concerning their forms and design there is much difference of opinion among divines. It is probable that the term often means a figure of any kind, such as was ordinarily sculptured on stone, engraved on metal, carved on wood, or embroidered on cloth. See on Exodus 37:8. It may be only necessary to add, that cherub is the singular number; cherubim, not cherubims, the plural. See what has been said on this subject in the note on Genesis 3:24. Genesis 3:24; Genesis 3:24.


 
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